Discuss the negative impacts of Urbanisation

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Introduction

﻿Discuss the negative impacts of Urbanisation Many small town dwellers and villagers had left their hometown for the cities in search of higher standard of living. This movement from rural areas to big cities is called urbanization. Thus, urbanization is the process by which there is an increase in the number and the proportion of people living in the urban settlements and the amount of industrialization of the settlement. It also refers to the increase in the size of land area occupied by urban settlements such as towns and cities. Although urbanization has brought about numerous positive impacts, it also has its share of disadvantages as well. The nature and scale of impact, be it positive or negative, will vary depending on the level of development of the country. The negative impacts of urbanization shall be discuss via the economic , environmental, social and cultural aspect. The main negative economic impact of urbanization is unemployment. With massive migration from rural areas, jobs in the urban area may not be created fast enough to meet the needs. Therefore, the first problem faced by newly arrived migrant in the urban area is finding a job. While it is true that opportunities exist in cities, it is also true that the competition for these opportunities is fierce as there are more demands for jobs than are available. ...read more.

Middle

Causing health hazard as a result of air pollution is definitely an adverse effects of urbanisation. Water pollution is also a serious environmental problem in most overpopulated urban cities. First of all, cities have more pollutants and convection currents serves as magnets for raindrop formation. Once the water falls, instead of being absorbed by the soil, it is instead channeled into run-off systems, picking up ground pollutants along the way. As people from the villages are not educated on how to dispose of their rubbish properly, they has little regard for the environment and would litter everywhere. This pollution is added to that brought about by industrial waste and sewage disposal, which is often untreated, especially in cities in the development countries. For instance, water pollution is one major problems facing Vietnam?s cities, especially the larger ones, exacerbated by the high densities in core cities. For instance, in Hanoi, as many as 300 factories had been discharging untreated waste including chemicals, and some heavy metals, directly into water bodies. These are toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, and can affect the rest of the food chain and those who eat them. Hence, urbanisation has brought negative environment impact in terms of water pollution. ...read more.

Conclusion

The fast pace and long hours of work in urban area are causing city people a lot of stress and mental health problem such as depression. Compounding the problem is that many city people are living in units on their own, causing people to be cut off from society. Life style differences between the rural and urban areas also causes cultural conflict. When the rural people move to the city initially, they might undergo identity problem as they do not understand or get use to the city life-style. If they cannot adapt, it may lead to insensitivity, disinterested and aggressive behaviours. Eventually, the balance and order of the community deteriorates. These people may also live on their own in accordance with their own rules, isolating themselves from the existing urbanism, creating a hostile environment. On the other hand, some of these rural people may lost their own traditional culture values and spirit to be so influenced by urban way of life which may include unhealthy, selfish, and egoistic tendencies. In conclusion, urbanisation is one of the most controversial issues in the world today, containing various subjects, including both good and bad effects. Among them, the most significant negative impact of urbanization is always on economic and environmental effects, follows by social and culture effects. It is important to remember that urbanization is a long term process. and it is possible to solve these problems in the future. ...read more.

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Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Very well structured essay. Each aspect of urbanisation is covered in detail and with appropriate examples. There is a good range of sources referenced in the bibliography - it would be good to use some quotes as specific research evidence and perhaps some statistics to back up statements, eg. number of people with access to fresh water/sanitation etc.
The conclusion is a little weak, sounding more like a basic intro. It needs to give some insight overall to the issues covered and a more specific consideration of the future.

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